my first medication error,what is the proper consequence?

[janel.rn]

Hi! I would like to know if it is justifiable to be terminated if i committed a medication error for the first time? I work in a government hospital. on my night shift, I received my 18th patient from ER (ratio here is 1:18). there is a due med at 4 am which is tramadol 1 ampule unfortunately, I gave the wrong medicine, instead of tramadol, i gave ranitidine. I just found out when i went back to sign his medication chart.I admitted that it was my mistake because i carried out the wrong medication. patient is for KUB IVP the following day. I was not properly oriented in the hospital, it was my first time to receive a patient who is for KUB IVP. i thought that the procedure is done also to a room where KUB Ultrasound is done. Is it right to question a nurse competency if she do not know where the KUB IVP is suppose to be done? The headnurse is blaming me she said that if I do not know I should ask them but my point here is they did not properly oriented me and I am surprised that my first medication error would result to termination knowing that the patient is safe after administering Ranitidine. The hospital didnt even give handbook about the hospitals policy and what they usually do to nurses who committed an error. I noticed a lot of error in the hospital but none of these were reported like giving 30 units of hum R instead of 3 units, skin testing of wrong antibiotics, giving also the wrong medication to a patient. Kindly, help me on how can I fight for my rights? I was asked to make an incidental report and i find it difficult because I never made one, this will be my first time. please guide me. Thank you!

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

If you're practicing in the Phillipines, we'd have a hard time helping you protect your rights: we don't know what they are! Your post doesn't sound like anything I could relate to in the US....maybe a post on the foreign nurses board will help??

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

Moving to the Philippines board.

[janel.rn]

If you're practicing in the Phillipines, we'd have a hard time helping you protect your rights: we don't know what they are! Your post doesn't sound like anything I could relate to in the US....maybe a post on the foreign nurses board will help??

Can you try to relate it to US set up?

[mayflower2000, RN]

i dont think they will terminate you. yes, they will ask you to write an incident report to descibe what had happened. from the hospital where i worked before, usually they would ask the nurse to see all of the supervisors like a panel meeting, they will investigate.final outcome, they would ask the nurse to give a talk related to the incident. ive never known someone who was terminated due to committing drug error for the first time.

[msdreamchaser]

i am just a recent grad and have never worked however i guess you would not be terminated immediately just for a medication error especially if there were no drastic effect on the patient however you know your fault. i just wish you already made the incident report and told them immediately. with the incident report, you need to state the facts of what actually happened, date, time, persons involved. be accurate and honest. read your books in college, they have included it there or ask the hospital for manuals. know your rights... if they didn't orient you, you cannot blame them or clear yourself if anything happened. it is a nurse obligation to know her/ his rights before applying or working and its an inititative to orient yourself as well with the institution you're into... don't be so anxious,,, there's always a first time... :) god bless

[jenspec]

RELAX, an incidental report is just a narrative account to what transpire on such incident you do not need to provide long explanation. And most of the time IR are just a compilation record of events which does not bear threat to a nurse. The important thing is for you to be always alert and be knowledgeable of what you are doing. Never be ashamed or afraid to ask questions to senior nurses when in doubt seek clarification no matter what the other nurses think of it as being silly or being stupid, always have a handy nursing book reference, this i would advice. If you haven't done a procedure before seek assistance with your head nurse, be honest with the lack of skills and info about a certain case. Keep educating yourself.

[RNHawaii34]

incident report...i think that is the standard procedure that needs to be done by the nurse, just for documentation purposes and so to protect the nurse, and the hospital if ever something happened to that patient.. i haven't done one yet so far, but i have seen many nurses did it, but it depends on what "incident" happened during your shift. it could be anything from med error, co-workers bickering, or to patient jumping off the window, gets mo? i won't worry about it too much for now, unless if you did "harm" your patient, then you have a problem. just please pay attention to what your doing next time, always ask if you are not sure, always triple check with an expert..don't be shy, and never mind if they say you're "makulit" by asking too much questions because if anything happens, it will be their fault as well if they didn't teach you the proper way. remember how hard you worked just to get rn license, you don't want to lose that just because of mistakes that can be easily prevented.